Janora
Janora is the name of a kind of magical creature used as familiars, bodyguards, guardians or general warriors frequently throughout the history of Untaer. They, like all creatures summoned using magic, originate from the parallel world of Skútareth, heavy with magic which imbues the creatures living there. Janora, unlike some races living there, have inherent magical powers. Appearance and Attributes Janora are more-or-less humanoid in appearance, though their skin is a light grey colour and they are both taller and thinner than most humans. By tradition and culture, Janora wear masks at all times, and their faces are seldom seen by any except their closest family. To unmask a Janora in battle is considered a great insult. Though Janora are generally human-like, they are unstable and fragile creatures; when struck in combat they die instantly, decomposing quickly into their base element, which can be manipulated by magic to form one of the elements water, fire, wind or earth. When manipulated in this way, the Janora gain varying and diverse powers and abilities. Though sentient and capable of independent thought, Janora do not have the same mental capacity as humans, and do not possess the power of speech. It has been suggested that, among their own species, they are capable of telepathical communication or a kind of language inaudible to humans, though there is little proof of this and their relations with humans have generally been only as slaves and workers. Janora appear to have core ideals which they stick to indefinitely, and hold allegiance to those of their own family and tribe when in their homeworld, or alternatively whoever summoned them into Untaer. Use The volatile nature of the Janora makes them easily suceptible to manipulation via magic, and this has been done various times throughout the history of Untaer, particularly in the Magic Wars of the Age of Magic. They are usually used as rank-and-file soldiers or cannon-fodder, given their proficiency in combat but weak constitution, and are inexpensive yet useful warriors. They can be manipulated to use various weapons or employ special techniques in combat, and occasionally are used for covert and stealth missions or special tasks. Divisions As stated above, the Janora are malleable and can be changed with the application of certain magics. The creatures they become then are segregated into the elements representing the powers they are imbued with, and their weaponry and apparel is usually reflective of this, particularly notable in Violet Sword Blade, where Lady Iluvana's caverns are guarded by five types of Janora in five different rooms guarding her chamber. Water Janora The first room in the caverns is the Water Tunnel, a long, narrow passageway on a shallow incline down into the earth, where the Water Janora stand guard. Their masks are painted with blue tears under the eyes and they are each armed with two long, thin, serpentine blades which they use with great precision. Their magical power is the ability to cloak themselves and move without being seen by human eyes; an ability they use with great effectiveness in killing Kain without him knowing. Earth Janora The Earth Chamber in Iluvana's Caverns holds the most numerous garison of Janora, and these are imbued with the power of earth, having brown markings on their mask and wielding two small handheld axes each. Their ability allows them to move through the walls and floors and appear without warning from them, useful for ambushing enemies in enclosed areas. It is worthy of note that these Janora appear to be very physically unstable, and seemingly dissolve on contact with water, as shown when Mazzek forces one into the well in the centre of the chamber. Wind Janora Suspended over an enormous chasm on a narrow wooden bridge, the Wind Janora defend the third room of Iluvana's Caverns, and are armed with spears and white markings on their masks. These Janora possess the power of limited teleportation, and are able to disappear and then reappear in any location they specify, generally behind an enemy or in a position where they are less likely to be injured or killed. Their teleportation proves to be their disadvantage, however, as they are able to become overconfident and teleport less-than-usefully. Fire Janora Perhaps the most dangerous of the elementally-imbued Janora, the Fire Janora defend a dais in the Caverns, armed with large two-handed swords, red flames painted on their masks, and the suicidal ability to explode and shower their enemies in flaming debris and immense heat. These Janora would best be employed as auxiliaries at the front of armies in order to instill fear into the enemy ranks. An unnamed Danethan adventurer in Iluvana's Caverns has been confirmed as a casualty of the Fire Janora. They are, however, volatile and cannot survive for long without a source of heat nearby. Eiana Janora Though there has been but one confirmed "Eiana Janora", that is, one that has been charged with sheer magical energies, its skill and prowess in battle is unmatched by any other type of Janora. The creature in question guards the final challenge room of Iluvana's Caverns, and stands against any adventurers who manage to defeat the Janora in the previous rooms. He guards the very entrance to Iluvana's Lake, and fights with a sword and shield, his armour stronger than any other Janora's and adorned with the eight-pointed star of Magic. His name, "Eiana Janora", is never used in the book he features in, but derives from Eiana, the Elriéneth word for magic, which is his "element". This Janora is also the only one confirmed to show the emotion of fear, for, as described in Violet Sword Blade; "What he saw were two great, yellow eyes, looking back at him. He saw emotion in those eyes, too; determination, valour, nobility, but he also saw a great sadness and fear." The Eiana Janora is killed by Mazzek Rettensauth in the book, but is presumably replaced by another each time it is destroyed, as Belg Briaghan, an Akurshai in search of magical power, faces and destroys one in the book The Starlit King. See Also * Nai'shanuk * Treaty of Theselan Category:Races